“Project development for beginners – from local to international activities for youth workers”

This training course provides an opportunity for youth workers to explore the fundamentals of project development, from shaping local initiatives to building international projects within the Erasmus+ framework. Participants will be introduced to the basic concepts of project planning, models of project development, and the steps needed to transform ideas into structured activities.

Through non-formal education methods, teambuilding exercises, and practical workshops, participants will learn how to analyse needs, define project goals and objectives, and identify suitable target groups - including strategies for involving young people with fewer opportunities. Special focus will be placed on designing meaningful activities, ensuring visibility and sustainability, and connecting projects with the priorities of Erasmus+ and the realities of local communities.

The program goes beyond theoretical input by engaging participants in interactive exercises, collaborative group work, and real-world explorations of ideas and projects participants are expected to bring with them to the training course. This hands-on approach allows participants to test their ideas, reflect on challenges, and co-create solutions together. By the end of the training, participants will have gained a deeper understanding of the project life cycle, strengthened their skills in project design and methodology, and developed concrete plans for youth projects that are both realistic and impactful - ready to be implemented at local and international levels.

The training course is developed in line with Youth Goal 1: Quality Learning and contributes to following sub-goals:

• Guarantying universal and equal access to quality education and life-long learning.
• Ensuring that all young people have access to adequately funded non-formal education at all levels, that is recognised and validated.
• Promoting open-mindedness and support the development of interpersonal and intercultural skills. 

The training course will be based on non-formal education methods and experiential learning principles. The program is designed to provide youth workers with the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to develop projects, strengthen youth engagement, and connect local-level initiatives to the wider European context through Erasmus+.

The first days of the training will be dedicated to creating a safe and collaborative learning environment, fostering trust within the group, and aligning participants’ expectations. These initial sessions will introduce participants to the basics of project development, explore different project models, and present the Erasmus+ Program and Youthpass as tools that can support their future work. Participants will also take part in teambuilding activities and start reflecting on their own local realities and priorities in youth work.

As the training progresses, participants will analyse community needs, define clear project goals and objectives, and identify their target groups, with a special focus on involving young people with fewer opportunities. Interactive workshops will guide them through project methodology, activity planning, and sustainability strategies, while also providing space to exchange practices and experiences.

In the later stages of the course, participants will work in groups to design draft project ideas. They will receive feedback, explore potential challenges, and refine their proposals to make them realistic, inclusive, and impactful.  On the final day, participants will present their group projects, evaluate their learning outcomes, and reflect on their professional growth. The course will close with a structured evaluation process and a Youthpass ceremony to celebrate and acknowledge participants’ achievements.

All participants are expected to come to the event with basic idea and needs analysis of their local communities, which will later be used throughout the program as a practical continuation of developing each of the project segments. It’s expected that, by the end of the training course, participants will develop concrete project ideas connected with the needs of their local communities and suitable for scale-up on international level – i.e. as part of Erasmus+ KA1 projects.

Objectives:

• To introduce participants to the fundamentals of project development, including project planning models and the project life cycle.
• To strengthen participants’ ability to analyse community needs and connect them with the priorities of Erasmus+ and local realities.
• To build participants’ competences in defining project goals, objectives, target groups, and strategies for involving young people with fewer opportunities.
• To develop participants’ skills in designing project methodology, activity planning, visibility, dissemination, and sustainability measures.
• To provide participants with practical experience in group project design, feedback, and refinement of project ideas.
• To support participants in transforming their local ideas into concrete project proposals suitable for Erasmus+ KA1 and other international opportunities.